The Praise

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”  Revelation 5:9

Praise is adoration, and adoration is a vital sign of prayer. Prayer without praise diminishes the sacrifice that makes prayer possible. Adoration avoids rushing into The Presence of God without counting the cost paid by Jesus, The Lamb who purchased your salvation. 

Praiseless prayer often focuses more on the disaster than The Master. Adoring Jesus doesn’t add an ounce to His weight on God’s scale of value, but praise raises His esteem in your eyes. His name is a priceless treasure. When you pray, don’t drop it. Invest your praise in it.  Soon you will find the words of the old song to be true, “Jesus is the sweetest name I know.”

Though not all music is praise, and not all songs voice adoration to The Son, the Book of Revelation reminds us that at the heart of every praise song is a deep and abiding prayer of adoration for the one who is always worthy of praise.

“Adoration is a form of prayer and Revelation abounds in adorations.”
Herbert Lockyer

Adoration of Jesus inspires a deep appreciation for His sacrifice. Make no mistake about it. It also opens the arms of believers to embrace a worldwide family of diverse languages and nations.  

It remains a stain on the integrity and the authenticity of The Gospel when a church can meet and be made up of posers who claim to be  “purchased for God”, but refuse to value those who do not share their language or their ethnicity.  These prayerless churches need a blood transfusion only The Spirit of God can provide one heart at a time. Pray for it.

"It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 

This past Sunday, our pastor, Clayton Reed orchestrated a worship service that included a Spanish Church meeting in the facilities we share. It was an awkward and priceless experience. Learning how to communicate cross culturally is never easy. Expressing praise in words that are not our own is a learning curve that takes a lifetime of effort to achieve. We took baby steps, but we are no longer crawling. We are growing, and moving towards one another. Thanks, Pastor.

NOTE TO SELF: Prayers of praise to Jesus are essential first steps you need to take in building relationships with a worldwide family that may be closer than you think. Across the street or around the world, the mission is still the same. With His blood, Jesus purchased for God, “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Prayers of praise give you a personal blood transfusion of God’s love, and strengthen The Body of Christ, one heart at a time.  Adoring The Lamb of God softens your heart, and opens your arms to those who are not like you, but who are loved by Jesus. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Strategy

“ ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of The Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Jude 1:18b-21

Jude reminds us that there have always been those that have been driven by a spirit of destruction, rather than The Spirit of construction. They sometimes undermine the foundation of the church, from within the fellowship. Others, “devoid of The Spirit,” stand on the outside and mock everything the church holds dear.

The Holy Spirit meets the prayer warrior at the junction of destruction and construction. Those who yield to His sense of direction will build their lives upon the firm foundation of “praying in the Holy Spirit.” In doing so, they keep falling in love with God, and they avoid hating those who don’t.

“Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.”  Vance Havner

Mocking describes a childish tendency to trifle with a parent’s instruction and correction. Perhaps there is nothing more annoying than a child repeating everything said to them with mocking disrespectful words, and a derisive attitude. It is childish, and immature. Most children grow out of it. When it becomes a way of life, there is little hope for them or the parent.

In these last days, it is impossible to avoid people who are driven by a world-view that is “devoid of The Spirit.” Their perspective on life comes from peering through their own cracked lens, and failing to correct their vision with the word of God. They end up calling wrong right, and right wrong, redefining or inventing words to support their personal preferences, priorities and prejudices.

Those who are “devoid of The Spirit” bring derision into our lives or division into the church. They cannot be ignored, but arguing with them never seems to rid our lives of them.

Evil isn’t interested in framing the debate. Evil is intent on the removal of dissent. It isn’t searching for truth, but seeking to destroy it. Talking to someone who is “devoid of The Spirit” rarely convinces them of their need for a breath of fresh air. It seems to put fresh life into them, and rob prayer warriors of the breath of life within them.

“The only thing required for evil to triumph in the world is for good men to do nothing. “
Edmund Burke

The alternative to debating evil is “praying in the Holy Spirit.” This is not an appeasing, or appealing devotional exercise, but an aggressive military strategy. “Praying in The Holy Spirit” outflanks the mocking, divisive, derisive attacks of an ancient and relentless enemy. Prayer warriors must remember this.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

The message is clear. People may be the hand puppets of the enemy, but treating them as the enemy is a strategic mistake, and leads to epic failure in spiritual warfare. Praying in the Spirit is the only winning strategy. Arguing with people who do not speak the same language is not.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:18

“Praying in The Holy Spirit” keeps you in love with God and provides the patience to wait on God’s mercy. “Praying in The Holy Spirit” softens your heart and your rhetoric, transforming your heart’s desire for mercy to be poured out on those who hurt you, rather than demanding justice be brought down on them. No words can discribe “praying in The Holy Spirit” like the simple prayer of Jesus. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

NOTE TO SELF: It is harder to hate someone for whom you are praying. It is not impossible, just hard. When you are being mocked, and all that you hold sacred is being defamed, hating someone will never be a winning strategy. Debating those “devoid of the Spirit” is not the path to victory. Praying for them is. You will never be more like Jesus, and more in love with The Father than when you are praying for God’s best over those who are doing their worst to you. “Praying in the Holy Spirit” takes up the mantle of mercy and leaves the matter of justice in God’s hands. “Praying in The Holy Spirit” leads to a Ph.D. in The School of Prayer. (Pray Hard Daily) TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Answer

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

I still have a powerful resistance to the word, “Whatever.” Parents who raised teenagers, during the Valley Girl phase, will know what I mean. Every question was always met with a shoulder shrug, and an eye-roll, accompanied by the word, “Whatever.” But I digress.

“Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to his.” ~ John R.W. Stott

Answered prayer builds our faith because it places our confidence in The Father, and yields our will to His. Answered prayer is not based upon our eloquence but on our obedience. Answers to “whatever we ask” are not based upon the limits of our own personal resources, but on the limitless love The Father has for His children.

NOTE TO SELF: You can have no greater confidence than to know that your prayers are heard, and answered, when you pray in line with The Father’s will. Pray accordingly, and pray expectantly. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Heartbeat

The slightest implication of prayer has the power to release the greatest implementation of prayer. The pulse is a small vital sign of a beating heart pumping life throughout the body. Where there is a pulse, it reveals life in the body. The smallest prayer releases the greatest power in the world.

The will of God is found in the Word of God. John, The Elder does not disappoint those seeking to pray according to the will of The Father. He tells his readers that He has had his hand on the pulse of Life, and he knew prayer was His source of power.

“What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life – and the life was manifested and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was the Father and was manifested to us.” V.1-2

The brief pages of I John reveal no grand design for prayer, such as the one outlined by His Master in The Lord’s Prayer.  Still, his gentle gestures towards prayer are his homage to Jesus. John learned the lessons of prayer while listening, watching, walking and talking with Jesus through a three-year School of Prayer.

“While no repeated prayers are to be found in this book, prayer is every where implied.” Herbert Lockyer

The handprints of The Manifest Presence of Jesus were all over John’s heart, and His heartbeat pulses through this little book.  At 90 years of age, John’s consistent intimacy with His Savior in prayer had transformed this “Son of Thunder” into “The Apostle of Love.” It had taken a lifetime. Prayer always does.

John’s powerful personality no longer promised more than it delivered. Advancing age had taken its toll on his power to bring the heat on every subject under the sun. He now spent his last days, seeking God’s will, not speaking his mind. He wisely shed more light on prayer, instead of rashly torching those around him with his opinion.

Prayer is more than a devotional discipline or an extended military exercise against an entrenched enemy. It is both, but when you add the two together, prayer is more than the sum of the parts.  

Prayer offers fellowship with The Father and The Son. Is it any wonder why the joy of life is lost when the fellowship of prayer becomes a casualty of spiritual warfare?

John never got over being in The Presence of Jesus, and hearing The Son pray to His Father. Hearing Jesus pray introduced John to an intimacy with The Father only a child can have with a loving parent.

“Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.” Don Miller

The pulse of prayer reveals the vital heartbeat of fellowship. John had heard Jesus pray until His will was conformed to the will of His Father. John would settle for nothing less than the abandonment of his own will into the hands of The Father. He had heard Jesus pray many times, and he had wisely followed His lead.

When John prayed, he discovered…

• Prayer is fellowship.
  “Our fellowship is with the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.” V. 3
   
• Prayer releases joy.
  “These things we write, so that our joy may be complete.” V. 4
   
• Prayer reveals The Light.
  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light.” V. 5a
   
• Prayer removes the darkness.
  “…And in Him there is no darkness at all.” V. 5b
   
• Prayer receives cleansing.
  “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” V. 7
   
• Prayer requires confession.  
  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” V. 9

NOTE TO SELF: Walking with Jesus includes talking with and listening to The Father. His will is found in His Word. Without consistent prayer and immediate obedience you may occasionally stumble from the dark into The Light, but you will have no intimate fellowship with God.  Stumbling out of the darkness into postponed confession, after prolonged rebellion, only makes you look wide-eyed and disheveled, not forgiven and cleansed. Persistent, consistent prayer improves your fellowship with God and cleanses your heart. One leads to the other, and you need both. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Way

 “Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18

A friend of mine had the honor and privilege of sharing a meal with a Romanian family shortly after the fall of the Communist regime. At the close of the evening, they offered him some tea, contained in a very special cup. It had been the property of a pastor who had been martyred for his faith, during the harsh days of Communist oppression. They called it “The Martyr’s Cup.” They only used the cup on special occasions, and they kept it on shelf separated from all the rest of the dishes. When the significance of the small cup was explained to my friend, he received it as a great honor. Wouldn’t we all?

Peter’s last words were shared with the members of the early church, under the shadow of his imminent martyrdom. He did so in the face of great lawlessness from inside and outside of the fellowship. The true church has always had to learn how to thrive, not just survive, under the forces of apostasy from within, and the forces of evil from without. Prayer warriors remain on guard against both.

The contemporary church has much to learn from Peter’s prophetic voice. When Peter embraced Grace, he was not taking hold of a concept. He was throwing his arms around Jesus. Amazing Grace, indeed.

“Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.” Vance Havner

Tiny, mustard seed-sized, child-like faith receives The Father’s unmerited favor. He provides Grace through His Son, Jesus. The most seasoned saint never arrives at a full knowledge of The Father’s love for them. The learning curve lasts a lifetime, and continues into eternity.  The School of Prayer is always in session on campuses in Heaven and on earth, and the Ph.D* is the only degree offered. The education is on earth,  but the graduation is held in Heaven. (*Pray Hard Daily)

“To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Peter’s final words called for the church to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus.  A martyr’s last words hold great significance, and substance.  To ignore them devalues the martyr’s sacrifice, and leads to the spiritual bankruptcy of the church. Peter’s cup was full and overflowing with the wisdom needed for this hour.

“We cannot grow into grace. Grace is the unmerited favor we received when Christ is received as Savior. Once He is accepted, we grow in Him. It is only in the school of prayer that we can grow both in grace and knowledge.” Herbert Lockyer

Prayer provides access to The Way to grow in grace and knowledge. To grow in appreciation of The Father’s unmerited favor and to gain an awareness of His great love for His children, time in prayer must be spent with His Son.

 “I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” ~ Jesus - John 14:6

Jesus prayed early and often. He prayed during the day, and through the night. His prayers were scheduled, and spontaneous. Whether He was alone or walking with the disciples on a crowded road, He sought personal intimacy, and maintained unbroken communication with The Father, through prayer. Prayer was the air He breathed, the compass for His life, and His language of love reserved for His Father.

Those who race to embrace Grace, but express no desire to spend time with Jesus, are taking a walk in the dark, not in The Light. Prayer continues to be The Son’s love language for His Father. He is seated at His right hand in Heaven, and intercedes for those who come to The Father, in His name. The first step to growing in grace and knowledge takes place on bended knees.

Those who desire to grow in grace, and the knowledge of Jesus will enter into The School of Prayer, and learn to pray from The Master. Grace is The Gift from God. Prayer is an expression of gratitude for His Gift. Spontaneous prayer is an appropriate sign of appreciation for an introduction to Grace. Continuous prayer leads to a growing appropriation of the full knowledge of Grace. Prayer moves intimacy with The Father’s Grace from an initial introduction to a growing appropriation.

Growing in grace and knowledge requires spending time with Jesus in The School of Prayer. He is at the head of the class.  He invites those interested in learning to pray to move their desks closer to His. When they do, they learn from Him.

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me.” ~ Jesus

NOTE TO SELF: When you are prayerless, you exhibit the self-centered character of a thankless child. Remaining prayerless while being a recipient of God’ unmerited favor is a poor reflection on The Father’s love, and shows very little appreciation for The Son’s sacrifice. Failing to pray is like cheating off your own paper. It only leads to more failure. Move your desk closer to Jesus. Learn from Him. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Mending

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11

The way you come on is the way you go on. No one enters into The Kingdom of God with a prideful, self-sufficient and self-centered spirit of independence. When Jesus expressed the preamble of The Constitution of The Kingdom, He led with the credentials of citizenship.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” ~ Jesus – Matthew 5

Humility leads you to the threshold of The Kingdom. Every time you bow your head in prayer, you continue to yield your rights, and place your life under the mighty hand of God.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,…”

There is a huge connection between the bending of your knees to enter The Kingdom and the mending of your nets to serve in The Kingdom. Let’s go fishing.  

“Cast your net on the other side of the boat.” ~ Jesus

Peter heard these very words spoken to him on the Sea of Galilee, from the lips of Jesus. When he obeyed them, his life was changed, forever. He, along with other anxious fishermen, had labored through the night, only to face the dawn with empty nets and no catch. In an instant, by a simple act of humility they obeyed the voice of Jesus, and discovered overwhelming abundance and unexpected grace. Some things never change.  Citizens of The Kingdom yield to the direction of the voice of The Risen Christ. The way you come on is the way you go on in The Kingdom.

Humbling His children is not a sign of The Father’s punishment. Contrary to contemporary church pop psychology, suffering is essential preparation for His blessing. Far from being an expression of God’s lack of concern, suffering is often a vehicle through which He delivers His most tender care.

“…that He might exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” V. 7b

You will not like suffering when you face it, but don’t fail to embrace it when it arrives. It is coming. Any crisis, chaos, or confrontation with the enemy is meant to bring you to your knees. If you let fear lead you to prayer, it will empower you to mend your ways, and to resist your real adversary.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren in the world.” V. 8-9

“Perfect” is a term used to describe the mending of nets. As a fisherman, Peter was intimately familiar with the necessary task of mending nets to prepare for the next catch. It was not punishment for being a bad fisherman. It was just essential to being an effective one.  

Prayer yields your rights, wounded pride, and stretch-marked faith to The Father’s personal touch. He reserves the right of a caring Father to expose areas of weakness in your life, and challenge you to mend those areas in order to be a more effective fisherman. 

“The God of grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm strengthen and establish you.” V. 10

Peter moved seamlessly, like His Savior, between words ofexhortation and prayers of intercession. While calling on believers to be prepared to mend their ways, He reminded them to come to The Father on bended knees.

“To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” V. 11

NOTE TO SELF: There is little hope of agreeing with The Father’s direction to mend your life, without being humble enough to bend your knees and recognize His dominion over your life.  Bending your knees leads to mending your nets. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Purpose II

“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7 NASB

When I was a boy, the comic strips of New York City would characterize a religious fanatic with the caricature of a sandaled, bearded man in sackcloth and ashes. He would be depicted standing on the street corner, holding up a sign with a message written with bold letters, “THE END IS NEAR!” All around him people would be scurrying down the street, while ignoring his warning. It all looked so hopeless, even to a child.

Peter’s final word on “all things” was a challenge to the early church to stay focused on the “purpose of prayer.” In the King James Version this same passage is translated “watch unto prayer.”  There is no greater purpose in life than to watch and pray.

The purpose of prayer is to watch what The Father will do to prove Himself faithful to His children in the middle of their crisis.  Prayer turns a child’s eyes away from the crisis, focuses them on the face of The Father, and points them towards others.

No matter how dark the storm clouds may be, it is always too early for a child of God to panic. It is never too late for them to pray. Looking into The Father’s face, prayer restores a child’s “sound judgment and sober spirit” when the headline hysteria and uncontrollable circumstances of life tempt them to run into the streets screaming, “All is lost.”

Weathering the storms of life has always included a great deal of waiting, worrying, wishing, whining and watching. When Peter saw the storm clouds gathering he called his people to watch and pray. Two thousand years later his words are as appropriate for the contemporary church, as they were prophetic for the ancient church.

Prayer transforms self-absorbed, stressed out children, obsessed with their own survival and self-worth into self-less servants seeking the best for those around them.  Through prayer, The Father releases His Spirit into His children to love for one another, to be hospitable to one another, and to serve one another. (See 1 Peter 4:8-10)

“So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 11

The focus of prayer is on the face of The Father. The purpose of prayer is to glorify Him. Praying in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ brings a child of God into his right mind, and under the authority and jurisdiction of Jesus.

Prayerless children are prideful and rebellious children who try to bring “all things” under their sphere of influence rather than yielding them in prayer to The Lord, Jesus Christ. No wonder prayerless children become restless people. The restless fail to find R.E.S.T.* because they fail to pray. *Release Every Single Thing.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus – Matthew 11:28

“Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.” Vance Havner

NOTE TO SELF: You will find R.E.S.T. when you Release Every Single Thing to The Father in prayer, in the name of Jesus. Every “thing” is not a trial, a test, or a trauma. Some “things” bring triumph, while other “things” bring tears. Make each “thing” a matter of prayer, no matter what you are going through. Prayer is the fastest way to get a grip on your right mind. When you sober up, you come to the end of your self. When you pray, you lean into the Y.O.K.E. of Jesus. It involves Yielding to Him, Obeying Him, Keeping Close to Him, and Enjoying Him. Don’t panic or look surprised at a crisis.  As a result of it, your prayers will turn your eyes upon Jesus and your steps towards others, for the honor and glory of The Father. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Hindrance

“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. “ I Peter 3:7

There is no greater poser in the world than a prayerless husband. His pride is the greatest hindrance to prayer. Prayer has the capacity to create an understanding, and caring relationship between a husband and a wife like no other force in the world. Prayer is the one thing most necessary, but it is the first thing jettisoned, right after the wedding.

When a husband prays for and with his wife he is less likely to take her for granted. When his wife hears her husband pray for her, she is less likely to resent what he said or did wrong. If a surprised wife hears her husband admit he is wrong, can the Second Coming be very far away? But I digress. 

“Live with your wives in an understanding way” does not encourage a husband to assume that he will ever completely understand his wife. When he prays for her, and with her, he can only take hope in the fact that he is on the right road. 

Saying a prayer does not indicate he has arrived at the destination. Prayer enables him to take on fuel for the journey. Words mean things. They don’t always mean what you think they mean. When Dana and I married, almost 38 years ago, we spoke the same language, but we didn’t always use the same dictionary. I would say what I thought, and she would hear what I meant. She would agree with what I said, and I would think I had made my point. It was pretty confusing. Let me explain.

Like most newlyweds, we began our life together with a great deal of love, but really short on cash. I made the observation that we will be fine if we just spent our money on necessities until we saw how our expenses added up during our first month of marriage. Dana agreed. I remember thinking, “That was easy.” When I looked at our joint checkbook a month later, I discovered we didn’t share the same definition of the word “necessities.” I wish I could say, I responded with a caring and understanding manner. Understand what I mean?

Over the past four decades we have learned to pray about EVERYTHING! We have not always been right. We have often been wrong, but WE have been wrong, TWOgether. It is amazing how understanding a relationship can become when both people admit they are not perfect, and they learn to fix the problem TWOgether, and not try to fix the blame one another.

Can I get a witness?

After three years of marriage, Dana made a statement to me in our kitchen in Houston, Texas. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the words, “You criticize everything I do.” To her surprise, and to no less my own, I agreed with her. I know it was not the first time she had said it, but it was the first time I had heard it. For three years I had ignored her voice, but this time God enabled me to hear her heart. Prayer does that. I had ignored the wisest counsel I had ever heard in seminary.

A guest pastor, Jack Taylor, had shared with us, “You must receive your wife as God’s perfect gift to you.” His emphasis had been on the word “receive.” I stumbled over the word “perfect.” I had missed his point. For three years I had tried to improve on God’s perfect gift rather than receive the gift He had given me. I had devalued her, not improved her worth. 

Prayer is the key that opens the door to understanding between a husband and a wife. It can improve the quality of communication needed in any other relationship. For 2,000 years the reciprocal “one another” relationships found in the New Testament have been the vital signs of Christianity and the anchor points of civilized society.  Without understanding people end up screaming at one another, not honoring one another. The headline hysteria of this morning’s newscast and newspaper provide ample evidence of the sad state of affairs in our nation. “Peace on earth” indeed. Husbands and wives must pray for one another, and with one another to find understanding. Prayer nurtures a God-given passion for caring for one another and honoring one another.

NOTE TO SELF: Nothing honors your wife more than saying a blessing over her. Nothing ends an argument faster than being the first one to say, “I was wrong. Can we pray?” Nothing hinders your prayer life more than taking your wife for granted. When you treat her like a disposable red cup, not a fine piece of crystal, God is not pleased. He expects you to receive His gift, not reassess her worth. When you pray with her, you treat her with the honor and respect she deserves. Expecting The Father’s blessing on you, when you refuse to bless your wife is a fool’s flight into fantasy. Don’t be a fool. When it comes to your wife…TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Mercy

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…”
1 Peter 1:3-4

Peter begins with a prayer of blessing upon God, The Father. He continues with a word of reminder for His children regarding their inheritance, through The Son. Peter’s intercession for the saints was not an escape route to a prayer retreat. He prayed in pursuit of intimacy with Jesus, and a practical message for believers who were in need of a message of hope. When he received it, He delivered it.

“His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Peter’s life was filled with suffering. His prayer life was a powerful source of comfort to Him. As he prayed, The Risen Christ walked him through many crises on earth. Prayer never lulled him into a false hope that earth was his home.  He longed to keep a divine appointment with Jesus, and receive the inheritance reserved for him in Heaven.

Mercy is The Father’s response of compassion to the cry of His children.  For His mercy to be known, it must be shown. The Father’s mercy cannot be explained. It must be experienced. The greatest expressions of His compassion, and strength of character come in the chaos of crashing waves, not calm seas.

The Father relieves the distress of His children when they call out to Him to do what only He can do, and give Him the glory for it.  Those who take credit for His mercy or think they deserve it, soon find themselves in rough water again.

Seasoned prayer warriors seamlessly converse with The Father in Heaven, and His children on earth. This may very well be the greatest sign of an effective, and authentic intercessory prayer life.

My father, Don Miller, is 92 years of age, and has been a man of prayer as long as I can remember. At this stage of his life, he often begins in prayer, and merges from his conversation with The Father into a conversation with me. It is the most amazing experience. At first this felt a bit disconcerting, but now I am able to see the absolute appropriateness of it.

Peter experienced intercessory prayer as the ultimate bridge between The Father’s love and His mercy for His children. No wonder Dad has defined prayer as endless intimacy with The Father.

“Prayer is the intimate communication between The Heavenly Father and His child.” Don Miller

Mercy is your only hope. It is The Father’s response to humble prayer, not prideful self-pity or seething resentment.  Suffering often leads His children to resentment over what is happening to them. There is real danger in yielding to the false hope of self-pity. There is no lasting contentment that comes in feeling sorry for yourself. It is like trying to quench your thirst with salt water.

NOTE TO SELF: Don’t become filled with self-pity in the midst of a crisis. Pity, filled with self, will never call out for the compassion of The Father to end the crisis. Seething resentment and prideful self-pity over suffering will only lead you to blame The Father for what is happening to you. Neither one of them will ever make sense out of it. When you admit to yourself that you are in need of The Father’s mercy for what you have done, you will call out to Him for the mercy that only He can provide. You are only a breath away from mercy. You need it. So does your nation. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Revival

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore is says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVE GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you.” James 4:6-10

Revival is God. Anything not created by God is a man made creation. Revival is God’s work. It only comes when prideful people come to the end of their rope, and stop making rope. Revival is a call to God to step into a personal or corporate crisis. When His people draw near to God, He draws near to them. This only happens…EVERY TIME.

“Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.” Vance Havner

Say Grace! “But He gives a greater grace.”  - Revival begins with the cry for mercy from the heart of a rebellious child, seeking the response of The Father. His undeserved favor brings to end the conflict and restores peace between The Father and His child.

Where revival is needed, judgment is deserved. When mercy is given it is undeserved. Revival is AMAZING GRACE pouring out of the heart of God upon His rebellious, but repentant children. Revival begins in the heart of one person admitting their need for God’s grace, and being humble enough to ask for it.

“You have not because you ask not.” James

Stay Humble! “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”  - Revival is birthed when the spirit of humility is released in the hearts of God’s children. The Father’s unmerited favor is lavished upon humble children, not prideful brats.

“My people who are called by name, humble themselves.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“Revival is a fresh new act of obedience.” Charles Finney

Call Assembly! “Submit to God.” - Revival is not an invitation to a pep rally. It assembles an army, and takes the battle to the enemy. Submit is a Greek military term used to assemble troops into a battle formation, and prepare them to march to war against a common enemy.

Revival includes submitting to God’s way, staying in His Presence, being saturated with His character, and seeking to do His Will for His honor and glory.

“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.” Jesus

Resist Evil! “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - Revival is birthed by acts of genuine repentance and active resistance to the enemy. Revival turns to prayer as the world-class weapon in the battle against evil. Prayer identifies the schemes of the enemy. Like night vision goggles, prayer reveals and marginalizes the forces of darkness. Prayer removes the enemy’s influence upon human hand puppets under his influence. Prayer replaces the enemy’s intimidation with the infusion of The Spirit’s strength for courageous living.

“Revival is war between God and the devil.” J. Edwin Orr

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Dieitrich Bonhoeffer

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burk

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless study or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick

Draw Near! “Draw near to God…He will draw near to you.”

Revival is a reciprocal relationship, but it is wholly dependent upon God. It begins when a rebel draws near to God in prayer. The first breath of prayer is the first step towards peace with God. Revival is found in His Presence. There is no revival without a visitation of God’s Presence.

Prayer expresses the desire of a child of God for the hand of The Father to be on them. They come into His Presence through prayer expecting a graciouls response, not a rejection.

“Prayer is how we set our sails to catch the wind of Heaven.” G. Campbell Morgan

Clean Up! “Cleanse your hands…purify your hearts.” - Revival is not a trip to the cleaners to remove dirt from the surface of a cheap suit. It is a complete cleansing that requires total purification.

Forgiveness comes to those who take personal responsibility for birthing in their hearts what they did with their hands. Revival calls for the washing of the residue of sin from dirty hands, and removing the stain of sin from rebellious hearts. Anything less is not confession, just rationalization.  Revival is not a matter of getting cleaned up for a homecoming parade, and riding on a float to the cheers of the church. It is a matter of being cleansed from the inside out, mobilized for war, equipped for battle, and resisting the enemy, come what may. Revival is not a matter of inviting unbelieving people to get back to church. It is a matter of the backsliding church getting back to God.

Personal revival comes when believers take personal responsibility for their own actions.  Corporate revival is a result of a repentant church settling for nothing less than setting their course back to God. Revival is not a matter of taking back a nation. It is a matter of a nation turning back to God, one desperate citizen at a time.

“Turn from their wicked ways.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Sober Up! “Be miserable and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom.” - Revival is a result of a reality check with God’s Word. Scripture is taken seriously again. His Word becomes written on the hearts of His children, and changes them from the inside out. God’s Word is no longer a course of study or a topic for discussion. God’s Word brings tears, not because it is informational but because it is transformational.

Preachers no longer comfort sin. They confront sin, not to bring tears, but to change behavior. The Word of God transforms because it conforms His children to the image of

His Son. Revival creates a fresh new hunger for The Word, and brokenness over sin.

“It is amazing what God can do with a broken heart, if you give Him all the pieces.” Samuel Chadwick

Kneel Down! “Humble yourselves in the Presence of The Lord…” - Prayer is about learning to lean into the Yoke, and yielding to the Father’s will. Jesus is The Captain of the yoke. When you pray in the name of The Son, The Father releases the synergy of The Spirit’s strength. His power merges with your weakness through prayer.

Stand Up!  “And He will exalt you.” - Revival is not about making a name for yourself, your church, your denomination, or your political party. It is about calling on God to make a difference in the world, for His honor and glory, not yours.

Prayer is an act of war, not a devotional exercise. When you pray, you stand firm next to The Champion, in the face of the enemy. You are not called to charge, or retreat, but to stand firm, and to pray in The Spirit. Prayer holds ground. Prayer takes back the ground overrun by the enemy. Prayer is not for pushovers. Prayer pushes back. P.U.S.H.*

The Spirit’s breath of revival is not a last gasp for the survival of the church. It is an infusion of God’s power to influence every aspect of the soul of the nation.  On a personal level, revival is a fresh act of obedience to God. On a corporate level, revival is the church saturated with the uncontainable Presence of The Spirit of God. When revival fills the church, it spills out into the streets of the city, and transforms a culture.

Revival is a recognizable movement of God. When revival comes, it is both undeniable and unexplainable. Before The First Great Awakening, America was in need of a movement of God. When it came, one observant Philadelphian reported…

“From being thoughtless and indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.” Benjamin Franklin

The First Great Awakening was described, by Pastor Jonathan Edwards, as a “surprising work of God.” Today America is a nation in crisis and needs nothing more than a surprising work of God. Pray for nothing less than what God can do, and give Him the credit for it when revival comes.

“When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them a-praying.” Matthew Henry

Father in Heaven, please surprise us with the mercy we do not deserve. We humbly ask you for a visitation and a saturation of the grace of Your Spirit’s Presence!  We need you to draw near to us, and to stay with us. Place Your merciful hand upon us. We submit to Your direction, protection and correction. In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen.